Category: Pakistan

Pakistan has called for stronger respect for international law, warning that selective application of legal principles is deepening global instability. Speaking at a High-Level Open Debate of the United Nations (UN) Security Council on January 26, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said the erosion of the rule of law was contributing to conflict, humanitarian crises and weakening trust between countries. He said international law was meant to make relations between states predictable and stable. But when countries ignore agreed rules, he warned, law risks losing…

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Human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari and her husband, Advocate Hadi Ali Chattha, were sent on a 14-day judicial remand by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad on Friday after their earlier arrest. The Islamabad Police had arrested the couple near the underpass outside Serena Hotel while they were on their way to the district session court. Former human rights minister Shireen Mazari said in a post on X that the two were “covertly presented” in the ATC but lawyers were not allowed in and no one was allowed to see…

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ISLAMABAD: The joint sitting of Parliament on Thursday passed multiple bills despite presidential objections, opposition protests and sloganeering in the House, in proceedings chaired by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq. During the sitting, President Asif Ali Zardari’s objections were raised on the Daanish Schools Authority Bill and the Domestic Violence Prevention and Protection Bill, with lawmakers from the opposition insisting that the advice should not be brushed aside. On the Daanish Schools bill, the President objected that, “The federal government should consult the provinces before establishing the Daanish Schools Authority”.…

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ISLAMABAD: Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Friday responded to remarks made by JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, defending Pakistan’s decision to join the Board of Peace and emphasising that the country’s participation strengthens efforts to support peace in Gaza and the broader Muslim world. Pakistan accepted Trump’s invitation to join his Board of Peace, a new international mechanism aimed at supporting the implementation of the Gaza Peace Plan, a day ago. The Foreign Office did not provide details about the composition of the Board of Peace or its operational modalities, but…

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GUJRANWALA: A major corruption scandal has surfaced in the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) Gujranwala, as the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Composite Circle has registered a case against three of its own officers, along with their accomplices, on charges of corruption, bribery, extortion and abuse of authority. Three government officials, among others, have been taken into custody. The NCCIA, established to strengthen enforcement of cyber laws, has come under scrutiny after allegations emerged that its officers, in collusion with private individuals, struck deals worth millions of rupees with suspects…

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ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Wednesday sought a written response from the Advocate General Islamabad in a contempt of court petition filed over the failure to facilitate a meeting between PTI Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja and the party founder and former prime minister Imran Khan at Adiala Jail, as the court questioned how proceedings could move forward without legal consultation. Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir was hearing a petition filed by citizen Ghulam Murtaza challenging the blocking of the PTI founder’s X account, along with a related contempt plea over the…

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ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Wednesday passed a bill allowing members of the National Assembly and the Senate to keep their assets confidential for up to one year, citing security concerns. The bill, moved by Pakistan Peoples Party lawmaker Shazia Marri, introduces key amendments to the Elections Act 2017. Under the new law, a lawmaker may request that details of their own or their family’s assets be kept secret if there is a credible threat to their safety. Once such a request is approved by the National Assembly speaker or…

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RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) is facing an acute budget shortfall for development projects and the provision of improved basic civic facilities to residents. In order to generate resources for upgrading essential services and undertaking development works, the board has finalised a mechanism to raise funds and decided to auction 15 residential plots in cantonment areas. The board has described the auction of the 15 residential development plots as a golden investment opportunity. A comprehensive publicity campaign is currently under way for the three-day auction, which is scheduled to…

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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday apprised International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva of Pakistan’s improving macroeconomic indicators, stabilisation efforts and progress on structural reforms. He underscored Pakistan’s commitment to fiscal discipline, revenue mobilization, and sustainable growth. The prime minister met the IMF MD in Davos, Switzerland, on the sidelines of the 56th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release. The meeting was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Economic…

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